ESCAPE FROM THE GAOL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 7 November 1907, Page 2

ESCAPE FROM THE GAOL.

I'llE PItISON'KU'S ALLEGATIONS 0V ) FAVORITISM. | A STRING OF COMPLAINTS. THE MOI'NT COOK COINING EPISODE.

Yesterday moi-iiiiiij,uL the gaol, Charles Newton was charged bel'ore Air. Us FiUherbert, S.M., with having attempted tu escape train the prison before the expiry of his Bentenee. lie had been char«ed mi the inevious alternoou, and, pleading "not- guilty," had been remanded for a day to permit of evidence being Irv.rd. Mr. S. Millinglon, gaoler, prosecuted The evideneo for the prose ration was that of Warders U'Llrady and

Kieluuds. , . Warder Olirady slated he was in ch-ir"i> of the working party on the gaol drainage on Thursday last Ten men comprised the gang, and the accused was one of these. They had been workin,, only a short time, when the prisoner made a holt from the work. Witness called out, "Where are you going V but .Newton made no reply. Witness then blew his whistle and ordered Warder Richards, on sentry duty, to lire, llus was done. Witness then scut Warder Kichards in pursuit of the prisoner and marched the rest of the gang back to prison, where he handed them over to the chief warder. Warder Dineen, who had another party close by, also went in pursuit. The three warders met near the back of the bowling green, and found the accused lying hidden. They taught him and marched him back to prison.

To the prisoner: He was standing at the stile, perhaps fifteen yards away from prisoner's work. He was not more than fifteen or twenty yards from prisoner at the time, and Warder Richards was on his post when ordered to fire. Prisoner: When I ran away where was he':

The warder: On his post. You're sure he wasn't off his post? Yes. It was a long boat. The warder added tEat the prisoner hadn't gone two yards before he was seen. Warder Richards was called. It was necessary that he should be relieved at liis post, and Warder O'Grady was about to do so when the accused asked that the two witnesses should not be allowed to communicate with one another before Warder Richards had given bis evidence.

This course was adopted. Warder Richards' evidence was that he was at his post when the prisoner made off. He denied that he was at the prisoners' latrine at the time. His first intimation of the escape was the "hullabaloo," and the accused was out of sight in a couple of seconds. The accused elected to call witnesses front among his fellow-prisoners. The first was Patrick Carroll, who said he was just alongside the accused at the time of the escape. Warder O'Grady was at. the stile, fifteen yards away. It might be more. The accused had got on to the jead before O'Grady spoke. He saw the escape. Warder Richards was not on his post; he was in the enclosure. He was still there when Warder O'Grady called out, "Man escaped." The latrine was perhaps sixty yards from the sentry's i post. Richards had his gun away with him, and Warder O'Grady had only his baton. William J. Sparrow said that at the lime of the escape he was working on the bank only a few yards from the accused, but he did not see him run away. Heard the warder (O'Grady) call out, but didn't know at the time what he said.

John Steele, another prisoner in the working party, didn't know of the escape until he heard the shouting and the shot fired. lUchards had jusl left his post, and was out of sight. O'Grady would have the best chance of seeing the escape, on account of the bank behind which Xewton was working. The accused said he had called this evidence merely to show discrepancies in the warders' evidence. He then produced a lengthy written statement, which he proposed to read instead of making a direct verbal statement, as his lengthy incarceration had had the effect of hampering his speech. Continuing, he pleaded provocation, stating that his bolt from the prison gang had been merely a means of obtaining an airing of his complaints of unjust treatment in the gaol. This he traced directly to the fact that he had complained of the actions of a warder in the Mount Cook prison, the warder's dismissal following upon investigation of the charges made. He

liild not noticed any differential treatment locally until after the gaoler had visited Wellington, and he supposed the subsequent attitude was due to the fact that his superior had then learned of the nature of the complaints at Mount Cook. Newton then stated that counterfeit coining had been carried on by himself, under a warder's directions, in the Wellington prison whilst .Mr. Millington, now tiie gaoler at New Plymouth, was chief warder there. It was done without the knowledge of the latter, of euurse, but it naturally annoyed the chief warder that the complaint should have been made. He explained how the coining had been done. He was engaged in the pottery kiln, making pottery for the Christchurch Exhibition. Ho had a semi-private apartment for finishing work, and this he hid made secure from observation upon the warder him a percentage of the returns if he would make counterfeit coins. These were circulated* in Wellington by the gaol officers. The offer by the warder was made when he was more than usually under the influence of liquor. In answer to the Magistrate, Newton said lie had made the coins. The gaoler interposed that a Departmental inquiry had been held and \Yarder Kelson dismissed from the service. Newton (accused) had often been

interviewed on this matter by the visiting justice (Mr. Weston) and Detective Boddam.

The accused, however, continued to refer to this incident. He said the warder had told him he (Xelson) was quite safe, and that any complaint against him would pass unheeded on account of his length of service, lie had also hinted at some intimate knowledge which would prevent Inspector Hume Irom dismissing him. Another prisoner had offered evidence of the counterfeiting conditionally upon a partial remission of his sentence. He had written petitions, but, hearing no more of them he had conic to the conclusion that these had lint been forwarded to headquarters, ihere was another good reason why he wished to be in evidence. There were counterfeit coins "planted" about the Motnt Cook prison, 'and he knew where they were. Unless permitted soon to make his disclosures all trace of these would be obliterated by the cutting-down of the hill.

The accused then referred to matters in connection with the local prison. He complained of favoritism shown by Wanbr O'Grady to a certain prisoner, and of unjust treatment to himself. For instance, some months ago he was 'me of a gang engaged in earthwork in Western Park. Two men started an aiyuinont on books, and, to their amaze'J"'", another prisoner joined in. With .in man neither was on speaking terms, »u; h- was shunned by all the prisoners, fcing a man of evil disposition and a lit ot Murder O'Orady, to whom he wts in the habit of carrying tales They rtsented the interference, and a battle (J words ensued, the interloper bein«- on lac top of a bank with a pick in" his hind. This man was Cullen, and he tireatened the other, Carroll, with his uck. Carroll advanced, and Cullen, lmgmg with the pick, said he would Jnock Hie other's brains out. The'pick cane down, but by the intervention of pother prisoner, it struck the other n*u,_ not on the head, but on the arm J to injured man challenged the other to *me down and fight. The scene must live lasted from _ m to 1.1 minutes.

'aider OTirady did not interfere, «]." >ongh lie saw and heard everything. An |.yusive remark l.y Cullen caused tine 'used to cliimc in, and rush the for- ■ *w. Accused Threw down his shovel ki<l picked up a sod of earth. Cullen i". a.wav Inwards, the seutrv, and then 'j/'.ratO'iiiiencreil, saying t u the ac((3C(j to "i.4 this matter drop, AYn'll _,,.- no more about it." The licensed, l,,.ypvrr, said Unit unless the warder reputed this incident lie (Xewton) would „'!>ort him for being accessory to the (.jniiiiihiil , H ' ~ murderous. ' aisjuilt. i o'lrady replied, -'All i-i<rlit: I'll fix you , (1 | for this, and you won't l>e so fond ' „freportiiiw warders in ihe future." ftexl ,(.iy the visitiiij; justice made, enquiry, ~.id Carroll, who had been struck on tho ; .-mi. was punished. On going out Into (lie yard Cullen gave the accused a dig I in the rilis, and they fell to and fought. I They were locked up, pending lli l °n i ipiiry. at which only O'tlrndy out. of 1 the four warders present gave evidence. ; Accused complained thai, when lie want- ! ed to make a statement he was cm 1 short and told to listen to what the \ visiting justice had to say. The ac-

cused considered the warder could liave intervened in the Western Park row, which might have ended very seriously. "One more thing I have to say. lam innocent of the charge for which I nin sentenced." He had petitioned to be allowed to prosecute the police for perjury, hut nothing came of his petitions, which lie was afraid had not reached

the proper quarter. In answer to the Bench, the accused said he had received no punishment in connection with the coining.

Warder O'Grady said that on the occation of the l'ark disturbance lie had to send I" the gaol for assistance, otherwise there would have liecn a mutiny. Carroll and Newton were both men who I must have everything their own way. At this stage the gaoler produced a pair of trousers found on Newton when captured. The garment was ronghlv fashioned from one of the prisim l)!.'nikets. There was a cap of the

same material, with a peak made from a piece of the cover of a library book which he had mutilated. Mr Millington said that this would prove the escape was premeditated and not the result of a sudden inspiration when the sentry might have been off his heat. Accused said he provided the clothes to prevent his breaking into a house to

steal some. The accused requested an official inquiry into the Park affair. The Magistrate could see no benefit to the applicant, who ought to have been punished with the rest. But O'Grady had evidently not made things as unpleasant as lie could have done. Did he want the warder punished? No, he didn't. Mr. Filzherbert said he would be one of the first to recommend an inquiry if there were any allegations of misconduct of the prison. But this was a trivial complaint, and really only an allegation of want of discipline. He was afraid he would be laughed at if, on the evidence before him, he asked for an inquiry. Accused alleged that the warders had a set on him.

The Stipendiary Magistrate: Have you any complaint against the gaoler? No. Against Warder O'Grady? Ho. Well, I must convict you on the present charge, and punish you. Accused wanted the Magistrate to make it clear that the Court's punishment was the only punishment. Ho knew very well that he would be punished by the gaoler as well. Could he (Jfewton) be shifted to another gaol, "for he would be treated harshly here after this affair? The gaoler said there was no ground for such an assertion. As for extra punishment, if the accused were ordered separate treatment he would have his tobacco allowance stopped. The accused said tobacco was more than anything else to a man in gaol. The Stipendiary Magistrate; Well, you must be punished by the loss of something, you know. The accused was then sentenced to fifteen days' dose confinement without irons, and in addition to forfeit 180 marks (one month's). The length of the prisoner's term was mentioned. The accused said it was seven years and three months. The gaoler said it was only six years, and explained that the fifteen months for breaking gaol formerly was a sentence running concurrently with the major sentence.

The accused was apparently genuinely surprised and taken aback. ''l always thought I was doing an extra twelve months," he said. Had he known this before he would not have thought of attempting to escape. As the accused was leaving the room, the Magistrate advised him not to "kick against the pricks," but to settle down and thus make things more comfortable for himself and for others.